Cable-theft suspect 'lucky to be alive'

A 25-year-old man went to Leeds General Infirmary early yesterday with serious burns to his face, hands and chest.

Police believe the man was injured in an explosion when a saw was used to cut into a live cable at a bridge over the River Aire in Redcote Lane, Leeds, at about 12.15am.

His injuries were not life-threatening but his recovery was expected to take several months, a police spokesman said.

Britain has been hit by a plague of metal thefts as the Asian construction and manufacturing boom has pushed up the prices of raw materials and police are warning thieves of the dangers of targeting electrical cables for valuable copper.

Detective Inspector Richard Partis said: "Medical opinion and that of the electricity firm is that this man is very lucky to be alive.

"This incident could very easily have resulted in his death and that of another man who was with him at the time.

"We believe they thought the cable was not live and contained copper that could be sold for scrap.

"This incident should demonstrate to people the risks they are taking targeting electrical cables in this way.

"There is no way of telling by sight if a cable is live or not and the risk of death or serious injury is obviously very high."

Engineers were called out to the scene and made the damaged cable safe.

Police in the Holbeck area of Leeds are investigating thefts and attempted thefts of copper piping from carriers on the roofs of vans parked in the Dulvertons estate in Cottingley.

The Holbeck Neighbourhood Policing Team is urging plumbers in the area to empty the piping carriers on the top of their van and leave the lid open.